


The New World Order

by fallingforfandoms



Category: House of Cards (US TV), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Character Death, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Glory & Gore par excellence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-01 04:24:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16757881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingforfandoms/pseuds/fallingforfandoms
Summary: When the world as we know it collapses, there is room for a new world order. What will its foundation be? One of terror, war and fear? Or one of mutual respect, cooperation and love?Basically, how would Claire Underwood deal with cocky men and other herds of groaning monsters?(Timeline and spoilers: set after season six of House of Cards and starting at the beginning of The Walking Dead.)





	1. The Inhuman

**Author's Note:**

> Again, this contains major spoilers for HoC and TWD. Now, let's talk about that "blessing" introduced in season six of HoC. I decided to go with the debatable canon on this one and include Claire's child in the story. However, this plot starts five years after the ending of season six, making Claire essentially a former President. There were several other ways this story could have gone, but honestly, this was - weirdly - the most plausible one. Feel free to leave your opinion on anything in the reviews.

“So, did you like the monkeys or the lions more?”, Claire asks her daughter while reminiscing on their trip to the zoo.  
“The lions, they were so cool and so big”, Olivia gestures wildly, almost hitting her hands on the window of their car, her eyes lighting up nonetheless as she tells her mother about her experience.  
“You’re right, they’re great. But they’re still dangerous, especially as a pack.”  
“So I can’t pat them?”  
“No, they don’t like that very much.”  
“But one of them had so much hair, and it looked so fluffy.”  
“That’s the male one. You really have to look out for those, the males. They’re the most brutal ones, they can hurt you really badly”, she sighs, her gaze drifting off to the woods passing by.

While Olivia jabbers on about their day at the zoo, her mother nods absently as something among the trees catches her attention, an anomaly from the mix of brown and green that flashes past them. Perhaps wanderers? Or – worse? She shivers at the thought of it, especially because she insisted on a private trip: only one car, one guard and the two of them, to prevent the media from drawing attention to their plans. And yet, these familiar woods that she has never seen someone pass through seem different this time. Quickly concealing the once furrowed brow, she turns back to Olivia who is contently munching on the last bites of her apple, unaware of any possible dangers. Her little girl has grown in the last few years. So much, in fact, that she can easily – and visibly - peak through the windows.

“Liv, listen, why don’t you take a nap for the rest of the ride? You’ve been on your feet for so long. And Amy’s coming over tonight, remember? I bet you girls have better plans than to fall asleep right at the start”, her mother tries to convince her of her hidden agenda to keep Liv safe.  
“Yes, she wanted to bring her dolls, so we could play with them together."  
“How nice of her. But for now, just lay down for a bit. You deserve it”, she sighs, scooping her daughter over to rest in her lap below the window. Just as she hears the first quiet hums and sighs of Olivia’s light sleep, the car slows down, and Collin looks at her through the rearview-mirror.  
“What should we do about that one?”, he asks and his gaze shifts to a woman about twenty feet away that shuffles slowly along the road with her back turned towards them.  
“Looks like a hitch-hiker to me. Leave her be, she’ll find someone else.”  
“Or she just got lost in the woods and wants to follow the road to the next city. We don’t have to take her with us, but we could at least point her in the right direction. I’d do that, you can stay inside if you like. It’s just … sort of personal for me. I almost lost my sister like that once”, he explains to soothe over her furrowed brows.  
“Fine, go ahead”, she sighs, gently stroking through Olivia’s hair while eyeing the stranger from afar. He decides not to drive right up to the wanderer, pulling over fast.

“Be right back”, he announces swiftly as he leaves the keys in the ignition, gets out of the car with the door remaining open and walks ahead. From the back seat, she can only see a fraction of the scene, no matter how little but decisively she shifts in order for her daughter to stay asleep. Suddenly, there’s a shot that cuts through the silence and right to her core, making her heart skip an unhealthy number of beats. Is that woman armed? Is Collin okay? Why is there no other sound?

“Mom? What’s up?”, Liv asks, ostensibly woken up by the noise as sleep clouds her eyes and voice, but her mother has no answer for her this time. Instead, she watches in horror as the woman enters her field of vision. The bullet seems to have pierced through her chest, leaving marks on her shirt. Her greasy hair flows in the breeze carrying the sound of sore groaning and the smell of rotten flesh over to the car. However, what worries her most is the fact that this raw voice seems to be getting louder, and not just because it’s getting closer. Just as Collin wants to aim at the woman again, others like her emerge from the woods.

“Watch out!”, she yells with all the power of her lungs, but by the time he turns around, one of them has already gripped his shoulders and – bit him? The gut-wrenching scream seems to confirm her unbelievable guess. His throat turns blood-red as he sinks to the ground, followed by half a dozen of these creatures. He’s lost, gone for good, she thinks, and can’t help but gulp at the thought of it. 

Just then, Liv begins to scream as well, pointing at the initial woman that approaches the open door of their car with an adamant determination.  
“Angel, listen to me”, she whispers, almost stumbling over her quick words, “No matter what, you stay back here. I’m gonna make sure we’re safe, okay?”, she asks and even waits for Liv to nod, which, luckily, she quickly does. Somehow, she manages to maneuver herself out of the back and into the front seat of the car, losing both her shoes on the way. Just as she gets ahold of the door grip, she senses a cold hand clenching tightly around her forearm. Instead of vigorously fighting off the touch, she doesn’t even bother to look to her side. Instead, she rams the door shut with a force so strong that it takes Olivia less than two seconds to scream at the sight: A roughly cut-off forearm lingers in the small corridor between the front seat and the door.

“Mommy, are you okay?”, she sobs, blinking rapidly as tears begin to roll down her pale cheeks.  
“We’re fine, darling. We’re safe from the monsters”, she assures her and starts the engine as more creatures begin pounding on their windows and motorcade. As she pulls away from the roadside, she gets to smash some more of them – but the initial sense of victory is shattered immediately as she looks to her side. A large group is huddled together where Collin went down only minutes ago – now not visible anymore – and even more are coming out of the woods, some following their car.  
“Where are we going?”, Liv whimpers in the back as her mother takes a breath with her gaze fixated ahead.

_“Back in time.”_


	2. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Isn’t that what you always wanted, to do good with nobody interfering? This could be your second chance."

After two hours and steadily escalating traffic, they and what seems like half of the nation are stuck only moments before the finish line, paralyzed by the dozens of road blocks in seemingly every direction. Of course, everyone fights for their own survival, apparently more eager to die by cutting another impatient driver than a hungry monster. Way back when she ran that distance, it might have only taken her ten minutes – but this time, every second spent outside is an unnecessarily high risk. Plus, she doesn’t want to abandon their car, still unsure whether she’ll be welcomed with open arms once she knocks on heaven’s door.

However, other impatient refugees have already left their vehicles, fighting their way through the road blocks to try their luck in earning enough protection to survive the night.  
“Why don’t we go with them? They look nicer than the monsters”, Claire hears an equally impatient voice from the backseat and can’t help but sigh at the childish naivety. The last thing she wants to do is draw public attention, maybe even lead massive refugee waves sweeping over Pennsylvania Avenue. But the car isn’t going to help her either for now, so there’s no other way than to venture further into the chaos if she wants to have so much as a chance to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hesitantly, she throws over a jacket, hides her head beneath the giant hood and puts on her heels again before she gets out of the car and scoops up Olivia, rushing ahead while the monsters in sight continue their aimless venture.

Now that the air outside smells much more burned than it did in the car and that the honking, groaning, yelling and crying seem much closer, it hits her with full force that utter pandemonium rules over this empire without heirs now. People are fleeing, fighting, dying, torn apart by monsters that were once just as helpless and human. Suddenly, there’s a gunshot. Then two. Then three. Then there’s a hole in window next to her. Instinctively, she presses her daughter closer to her chest. Barely able to control her breathing, she hides behind a line of cars as she advances further. The officers and soldiers can’t be far away – and apparently, they’re told to shoot at anything and anyone that moves, compassion seemingly not part of their command. Meanwhile, Liv’s uneven breath on her skin sends a chill down her spine. She can’t even fathom the terror that her girl must be going through in this very moment. If she’s honest, she herself can’t comprehend the full scale of this disaster either.

“We’re gonna be safe. It’s gonna be okay, I promise”, she whispers into Liv’s damp hair as she hides from one of the monsters coming around the next corner. As the biting stench of smoke and blood creeps further up her nose, the low growling of an armada of helicopters stops her dead in her tracks and makes her look up into the dark night sky. Either they’re searching for survivors from a safe distance – which is what she would have done – or they’re loading their snipers to take out every remaining being on these streets. Just as she starts to contemplate whether to throw her doubts overboard and wave at them to draw attention, there’s a bang from somewhere far behind her, much louder than a bullet – and yet the impact doesn’t seem that imminent. However, the scenery she’s confronted with upon turning around burns a imminent mark into her mind.

“That’s Arlington, right? Oh God, they’re bombing Arlington. So much for eternal peace in heaven”, a woman shakes her head as she crouches down next to her, her hands loosely covering her mouth in shock, “I tried my luck in the city, but it’s lost, there are just too many people here, too many of these monsters. You should get out of here too, you and the girl.”  
“I have a plan”, Claire replies, still not meeting the woman’s eyes and hiding her face below the dark hood – and despite the explosions, the grief-stricken cries and the shots, she thinks she can hear a breath getting caught in the other woman’s throat at the sound of her voice.  
“Claire?”, the woman asks incredulously, and her hand falls back down to reveal an agape mouth as Claire turns to face her, “I’m Deanna, remember? Deanna Monroe? I was in Congress with Frank. The three of us, we worked on that forest protection bill for Ohio, what, fifteen years ago?”  
“We did”, Claire remembers, the corners of her mouth twitching into the hint of a reminiscing smile, “Our biggest problems were refunds for those power-hungry tyrants, and now we’re dealing with actual monsters.”  
“My guess is, everyone who’s gonna stay in this city is gonna have to face both, especially if they have enough clearance for the big table”, she raises an eyebrow, loosely pointing her head in the direction of the White House. “Why don’t you come with me and my family, Claire? Help us rebuild our district?”, Deanna offers, and Claire barely manages to hide a scoff in response.  
“I know it must look bad in Ohio, but I’m guessing it looks like that everywhere by now. If I get through that gate, I could help all those people, including yours. That’s a win for all, isn’t it?”  
“Look, I know that you know that it isn’t like back in the day anymore, when you could order people around. The only thing you’ll be once you enter that Situation Room is an advisor, someone who can support an idea wholeheartedly and still be dismissed with a simple ‘nah, I don’t really feel like it’ by the President. You don’t even know what he’s looking to achieve, you’re just the means to his end. I thought you were done with that. Don’t you wanna set your own goals, without limitations?”, Deanna asks, her eyes fixated on Claire’s, “Isn’t that what you always wanted, to do good with nobody interfering? This could be your second chance. I’m guessing they won’t bomb every city, we should be safe in Ohio, it’s not exactly overpopulated.”

It’s not precisely what she imagined on the two-hour car ride to the capital. But she didn’t imagine to be shot or bombed by the National Guard either, let alone faced with an old acquaintance offering her help.

As her gaze shifts in the direction of the gigantic fires on the cemetery, it grazes various of the approaching monsters, now belonging to what seems like an endless herd of death. She knows about the official means and strategies, but even now, as she stands in the eye of the storm, she fails to say how heavy it might get, fails find a secure solution to the imminent problem. And something tells her this administration hiding behind thick walls and momentarily loaded snipers is going to be overrun before it can come up with one. She knows these men, she knows they’d rather choke on their own blood-stained pride than to accept ideas from a woman like her. Plus, if this is the end of the world anyway, at least she can finally do good for actual people in need.

“Change of plans”, she hums to Olivia, whose face remains hidden against her mother’s chest.  
“Not back in time?”, Liv asks quietly, big, open eyes fixated on her mother above her.  
“No, not this time.”  
“My family’s waiting back there, let’s get out of here”, Deanna nods in the direction of the interstate and leads them back to their car packed with supplies and men. They somehow managed to park on a route that is not packed with other cars yet, making it much easier to find a way out.

“This is my husband, Reg”, Deanna introduces the man perched in the passenger seat, “I'm sure you'll get along splendidly, he wants to construct as many walls as possible to guard our communities from the herds.”  
“Nice to meet you”, Reg greets the two new arrivals with a welcoming, earnest smile on his face. Impulsively, Claire wants to shake her head at that uncorrectable optimism, but she decides to let it stand alone as an example, a possible way how this endeavor can go, if they fight hard enough for it.  
“Then this is Aiden, my younger boy. He'll certainly protect us, he's got some experience in the army”, Deanna goes on before coming to her other son: “And this is Spencer, he might be able to help us with the community work. He's been down there for quite some time, so they should trust him by now.”  
“It's an honor”, he mutters, apparently not used to the shift back to the natural state of things.  
“Thank you all so much for welcoming us, I’ll do everything I can to earn our place in this mission”, she nods, adapting to the general optimism before she’s taken aback by Deanna’s hand grasping her arm.  
“You already did. A long time ago. We’re just returning the favor”, Deanna interjects, her piercing gaze stressing the benevolent message they get inside the family’s car.

~

Through their windows, they’re confronted with a face of the nation that they never thought would even exist, shaped by brutal chaos that turns into melancholic emptiness as they drive further out. The less cars accompany them on their journey, the more monstrous creatures take their place, seemingly just walking without any further destination – she just decides to call them _walkers_ because of that. Nobody dares to say a word, only the feral groaning of the walkers, the peaceful breathing of Olivia sleeping in her mother’s lap and the quiet humming of the engine filling the dark of night. Just as she wants to nod off as well, she feels the brakes kicking in, slowly, hesitantly, unwantedly, and can’t help but raise her head in search of possible impediments.

“What’s wrong?”, Spencer asks next to her, his head similarly bent to catch a glimpse at the route ahead.  
“Another road block”, Deanna sighs, her voice filled with exhaustion, “But there’s no line this time.”

As she rolls further, she’s stopped by two armed soldiers, probably part of the national guard stationed in the wilderness to control the flow of herds.

“I'm sorry, Miss, but we can't let you pass. We’re told not to let anyone in this area, it's too dangerous. It's for your own safety, you need to turn around”, the young cadet explains, nervously fidgeting with his belt, visibly overwhelmed by the situation.  
“We’re just passing through, I’m a Congresswoman from Ohio. My people need me”, Deanna interjects.  
“Congresswoman, I'm afraid there won't be many people left to protect in Ohio. Please, this region isn’t safe anymore”, another soldier who seems to have overheard the conversation supports his colleague as he approaches the car.

“I approved this venture”, Claire defends their cause and watches with a hint of amusement as both soldiers freeze mid-motion at the sound of her voice from the back of the car, “I explicitly offered my help to their emergency plan. We need to act now, before it gets even worse.”  
“Ma’am, I’m sure you have your reasons for this, but the current commander in chief doesn’t tolerate it, not even from you.”  
“This is ridiculous, we live in a free country”, Spencer hisses and shakes his head.

“We’ve got troops in Ohio. They’re saying it looks bad. They’re not sure they’ll make it out alive.”  
“So we won’t make it either”, Aidan murmurs, staring outside, probably thinking of his comrades’ fates.  
“Please, turn around”, one of guards insists.  
“And where to?”, Deanna almost shouts in their faces, running her fingers through her hair as she shakes her head in disbelief, “This is our home. We can’t just abandon it.”  
“You have to, I’m sorry. We can’t have you die out there, on our watch”, the first guard stresses, his voice truly dripping of guilt.

There’s a beat, until Reg draws in a long breath.

“Listen, dear”, he mutters, his hand grazing Deanna’s, “I don’t like this either, but there are other ways to help. Maybe not in Ohio, but somewhere else, there are still people in need. We’ll find a way, I promise.”

From the back seat, Claire can only see Deanna’s rigid silhouette while the older woman probably stares off pensively, possibly turning over every stone of the path that led her here.  
“You told me I could finally do good with you, without limits, as a second chance. I still want to do that. This is our opportunity to start over, you know?”, Claire insists, connecting the dots for her.  
“I know”, Deanna sighs after a while of silent deliberations, eyeing the bunch on the back seat through the rearview-mirror, “we don’t have a choice.”  
“So you’ll turn around?”, one of the soldiers asks, his fingers seemingly less nervous now.  
“I’ll do your job and be an actual help to people”, she sighs bitterly as she rolls the window up again, muting the synced “good luck” by the two men, and turns the car around.

~

After the first few minutes of frustrated rants and a back-and-forth of ideas, they decide to look for safe places first, places that aren’t overrun and hidden well-enough that herds won’t wash over it immediately. Just as their tank turns to be half empty, Reg spots a sign at the roadside.

“Hang on, go back”, he commands, waking his snoozing sons in the process, “Look, ‘You’re almost home’”, he begins to read the pale sign.  
“Alexandria, next right”, Deanna whispers.  
“New homes starting at $800k”, Spencer finishes the advertisement with an unmissable gloat in his voice.  
“This is it. They would’ve taken it down if people already lived in these houses”, Claire thinks out loud, chiming into that fuzzy feeling of relief spreading among them as Deanna turns right at the next corner.

Once they arrive in their new home and get out of the car, they can’t believe their eyes. There are at least twelve new houses upon first glance, all equipped with solar panels and cisterns. There’s even a pond, a small church – but no sign of feared walkers.

“It’s too easy”, Claire shakes her head as she sets Olivia on the ground to walk beside her.  
“It’s so cool!”, Liv exclaims blissfully, immediately shushed by her mother. Any kind of noise can attract unwanted company these days – that’s a lesson her five-year-old will have to grow up with from now on.

Before Claire gets the chance to give a heads-up to the Monroe’s, Olivia immediately pulls her mother onto the porch of the first home to inspect it from inside. Just as the girl wants to enter the house, Claire jumps in front of her and takes her place, shielding her daughter behind her as she slowly opens the door and listens carefully. No groaning, no other steps. Even if it seems safe for now, she grabs a broom from the corner next to the entrance and holds it out in front of her to keep a safe distance from emerging monsters. Meanwhile, Olivia seems to have found the light switch – illuminating the entire room and giving her mother a heart attack in the process. As Claire looks around the ground floor, she’s surprised by the extent of the furniture. There’s a fully operational kitchen, a comfortable living room, a set of stairs leading to the next floor and no threats in sight – yet.

This time, as they climb stairs, Olivia obeys her mother and stays behind, not uttering a single word until they’ve reached the upper floor and she spots the open door to a children’s room with all sorts of toys and dolls stuffed generously into a large box on the floor. “Mom, can you check that room first?”, she whispers and points to her new chamber of secrets. Claire nods and has trouble keeping her girl behind her back as she advances into the room. But apart from a small spider that makes Claire cover the girl’s mouth to muffle her shriek, this room doesn’t contain any unpleasant surprises either. As her daughter sits down on the floor to inspect the content of her new treasure chest, Claire checks the bedroom and the bathroom – nothing out of the ordinary either, at least compared to the overall mess of the outside world. As she leans in the doorway and watches Olivia play with two of her new dolls, she can’t help but shake her head at the sight. A few hours prior to this, she feared for their lives, imagined them hunting and making fires in a cave – and now, here they are, in their own little civilization, with dolls, salt shakers and duvet covers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, Deanna fucking Monroe is the only goddamn reason this AU even crept into my mind. When she interviews Rick in 5x12, she mentions her past in Congress and them being swept on the shore of this new community somehow, even though they were originally heading for her home district. I just couldn't let that opportunity go to waste, sorry not sorry.


End file.
